The Supreme Court yesterday seriously criticised Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq for their “arrogant” comments about Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and the apex court.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by the chief justice accepted the explanation tendered by the liberation war affairs minister in connection with the contempt of court rule issued on March 8 but rejected the one submitted by Qamrul.
The court fixed March 27 for further hearing of the rules and asked the ministers to appear before it on that day too.
The two ministers appeared before the apex court at 9am to explain their remarks made regarding the hearing of an appeal of war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali at a discussion in the capital on March 5 – only three days before the pronouncement of the verdict in the case.
The chief justice said that the court would not hesitate to give any order considering how powerful the ministers are. “The law will take its own course against anyone.
“This court is a wing of the constitution, not the government … Judiciary and government should have mutual respect. You not only undermined the chief justice but also dishonoured the entire judiciary by the statements.”
The court said that the two ministers made arrogant comments about the chief justice and the judiciary. “The explanation by the food minister has been rejected as he said that he made the comment out of emotion as a freedom fighter.”
Justice SK Sinha also said that a riot would have taken place had he withdrawn himself from the case and the trial proceedings of the war crimes cases hampered. The chief justice could be managed at a cost of Tk1,000 crore, but not the four other judges.
The chief justice asked Qamrul’s lawyer Abdul Baset Majumder whether the minister had violated his oath by confessing to his guilt.
After the ministers made the remarks on March 5, the chief justice said that he had communicated with the law minister through the high commission office while staying in Nepal to ask the ministers to apologise unconditionally by holding a press conference.
He also requested the law minister to raise the issue in the cabinet meeting.
As law minister raised the issue during the cabinet meeting, the prime minister scolded the ministers. But it was not enough as the ministers did not apologise through a press conference.
A nine-member bench of the apex court issued the contempt of court rule on March 8 before upholding the death sentence of the war criminal and the ministers were asked to appear before it on March 15.
On March 14, the food minister tendered unconditional apology to the court for his remarks. He had also filed a time to appear before the court as he was out of the country on a government trip. The court then fixed yesterday for the hearing.